Machine for sealing carton

ABSTRACT

A packaging apparatus forms a completely sealed composite package. The apparatus employs a continuous process which involves conditioning a surface of the package substrate. The substrate includes an adhesive coating that can be reactivated by infra-red radiation and adheres the package substrate to a juxtaposed face of a second surface. The apparatus uses rollers ( 102, 104, 118, 120 ) to compress the two surfaces together to complete the construction process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for adhering one surfaceto another, and more particularly to cartons and packaging systems.

The invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for adheringpackaging substrates which have been conditioned with an adhesivecoating.

The invention has potential applications in many types of consumerpackaging but offers many benefits in pharmaceutical packaging wheretamper evident and child proof features are important characteristics ofthe packaging, and where conventional gluing technologies such as hotmelt gluing are less suitable. Additionally, the pharmaceutical industryrequires stringent quality control checks as well as a high rate ofoutput in order for the packaging methods to be viable and costeffective. One common type of pharmaceutical package is a foil-backedPVC and Aclar/PVC blister pack which contains pharmaceutical productssuch as prescription drugs. The blister pack needs to be sealed withinan outer protective layer such as a paperboard sleeve. A paperboardsleeve is advantageous because it can provide printed instructions foradministering the prescription drugs on the paperboard package as wellas providing a protective outer. Such packages require the blister packsto be secured by both their front and back, to produce a child resistantpackage.

Current commercial blister card sealing systems operate intermittently,using a hot platen to seal a blister between two layers of paperboard,to create a paperboard—blister—paperboard sandwich. Prior to suchsandwiching, the paperboard blank is provided with an extruded orpress-applied adhesive on one side, with graphics being printed on theopposite laminated side. The adhesive is reactivated by heating, andcurrent hot platen sealers require around two second of heating andcompression to securely adhere a blister pack within a paperboardpackage. This causes the process to be slow and therefore costly.

In known processes, one mould of a platen sealer, the female, isgenerally not heated because heating this would lead to heating of theblister contents and heating of the blister packs can have a detrimentaleffect to the contents. However, a disadvantage of this technique is thereduction in the quality of the adhesive bond between the blister andpaperboard layers of the package and a further increase in the timetaken to produce each packaged blister pack.

A further disadvantage of current packaging systems is that they requirephysical contact between the substrate and the heating element and thismay have a detrimental effect on the printed surface of substrates,thereby reducing the aesthetic appearance of the packaging. The hotmould directly contacting the flammable paperboard package can also bedangerous.

Additionally, pharmaceutical industry regulations require stringentchecking of the quality of blister packs containing medication and verycareful and close monitoring of the drugs throughout the packagingprocess.

It is therefore desirable to provide a packaging machine which providesfor quicker production of packaged drug blisters whilst also providing amethod and system for monitoring the blisters and rejected any packagesfalling outside the necessary standard whilst maintaining a highthroughput of packages from the machine. It is also desirable to providea system which can control the correct packaging of the blisters andminimize the number of incorrectly packaged blisters.

The present invention seeks to overcome the limitations of the priorart, and offers improved throughput of cartons in the packagingapparatus in a continuous packaging assembly line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, a method of adhering afirst and second surface together comprising the steps of, supplying thefirst and second surface to a conveyor means conveying the first surfaceto a means for conditioning the first surface such that it can beadhered to the second surface, and/or bringing said first and secondsurface into pressure contact so that adhesive portions of the firstsurface are adhered to a juxtaposed face of the second surfacecharacterised in that the first surface is in continuous motion duringthe conditioning of the first surface and the first and second surfacesare in continuous motion during pressure contact.

Preferably the first surface comprises an adhesive coating which isconditioned by heat. The means for conditioning the first surface maycomprise a heating element.

Additionally the second surface comprises an adhesive coating which maybe conditioned by heat and the second surface is conveyed to a heatingelement for conditioning of the adhesive coating. The first and secondsurfaces may be compressed together.

Alternatively the first surface forms a front panel of an outer packageand the second surface forms part of an article to be secured within theouter package and the outer package comprises a rear panel surface andthe article has a second article surface, wherein the method comprisesthe further steps of: conveying the rear panel to a conditioning meansfor conditioning such that it can be adhered to the second articlesurface and bringing the rear panel and the second article surface intopressure contact so that adhesive portions of the rear panel are adheredto the second article surface thereby adhesively securing the articlewithin the outer package.

Alternatively the steps of conditioning the first surface and bringingthe first surface and second surface into pressure contact occursubstantially simultaneously. The heating element may condition theadhesive coating by convection.

Additionally the method may further comprise the step of monitoring thecondition of the first and/or second surface, preventing the first andsecond surface being brought into pressure contact if the integrity ofthe first and/or second surface is outside pre-determined criteriaand/or rejecting an object comprising the first and/or second surface ifthe first and second surfaces have not been brought into pressurecontact. The steps may be coordinated by a control means.

According to a second aspect of the invention a method of monitoring theintegrity of first and/or second surfaces of an object may comprise thesteps of using at least one sensor to monitor the integrity of the firstand/or second surface, sending a signal to a control means indicatingthe integrity of the first and/or second surface, preventing the firstand second surface from being brought into pressure contact if theintegrity of the first and/or second surface is outside predeterminedcriteria and/or rejecting said object if the first and/or secondsurfaces do not comply with the predetermined criteria.

Preferably the integrity of the first and/or second surface may bemonitored by measuring the temperature of the first and/or secondsurface prior to bringing the first and second surfaces into pressurecontact.

Additionally comprising a series of steps before the step of supplyingthe first and second surfaces to the conveyor means, the seriescomprising the steps of: determining if the conditioning means is readyfor conditioning the first surface, and if so then, supplying a testsurface to the conveyor means, conveying the test surface to theconditioning means, monitoring the integrity of the test surface when itis conveyed from the conditioning means and if the integrity of the testsurface is within predetermined criteria, supplying the first and secondsurfaces to the conveyor means, or if the integrity of the test surfaceis outside predetermined criteria, preventing said first and secondsurfaces from being supplied to the conveyor, and if the conditioningmeans is not ready to condition the first surface, then causing an alertto be issued that the conditioning means is not so ready.

Preferably the purpose of monitoring the first and/or second surface isto determine if the first and/or second surfaces have been conditionedsufficiently to adhere them together.

According to a third aspect of the invention an apparatus for adheringfirst and second surfaces together the apparatus comprising a conveyormeans for conveying the first surface to conditioning means forconditioning the first surface such that the first surface has anadhesive property, means for applying the second surface to the firstsurface such that when they are brought into pressure contact the firstand second surfaces are adhered together, and means for applyingpressure to both the first and second surfaces characterised in that theconveying means is adapted to keep the first surface in continuousmotion during the conditioning process and to keep the first and secondsurfaces in continuous motion during pressure contact.

Preferably the means for conditioning the first surface comprises aheating element. The second surface may comprise an adhesive coatingwhich is conditioned by heat and conveyor means is provided to conveythe second surface to a heating element.

Additionally wherein a compression means may be provided for compressionof the first and second surfaces together. The heating element may emitinfra-red radiation.

Preferably the conveyor means may comprise a belt which is constructedfrom fire retardant material (such as metal) and the conveyor means maycomprise means for compensation of expansion and contraction of thebelt.

Additionally the apparatus may further comprise sensors to monitoroperation of the apparatus and may further comprise control means forcontrolling operation of the apparatus.

Additionally the apparatus may further comprise means for conducting aninitial warm up run wherein the conditioning means is assessed for itsreadiness to condition the first surface by conveying a test surface tothe conditioning means for conditioning the test surface and thenmonitoring the integrity of the test surface, and means automatically toprevent the first surface from being conveyed to the conditioningapparatus if the test surface is impaired.

Alternatively the apparatus may further comprise a system for monitoringthe integrity of the first and/or second surfaces wherein saidmonitoring system comprises at least one sensor for monitoring theintegrity of the first and/or second surface, said at least one sensorbeing coupled to the control means for receiving a signal from the atleast one sensor, wherein the control means analyses the signal anddetermines whether or not the integrity of the first and/or secondsurface complies with predetermined criteria.

Additionally the control means causes and/or prevents an action frombeing carried out by a part of the apparatus. The control means mayprevent the second surface from being brought into contactingrelationship with the first surface.

Alternatively the control means may cause an object comprising the firstand/or second surface to be rejected for not complying with saidpredetermined criteria.

According to fourth aspect of the invention an apparatus for monitoringthe integrity of first and/or second surfaces of an object comprising:at least one sensor to monitor the integrity of the first and/or secondsurface, the at least one sensor being coupled to a control means forreceiving a signal from the or each sensor indicating the integrity ofthe first and/or second surface, a means for preventing the first andsecond surfaces from being brought into pressure contact if theintegrity of the first and/or second surface is outside predeterminedcriteria and/or a means for rejecting the object if the first and/orsecond surfaces do not comply with the predetermined criteria.

Preferably the integrity of the first and/or second surface may bemonitored by measuring the temperature of the first and/or secondsurface and the predetermined criteria is a temperature range at whichan adhesive bond between the first and second surfaces is achieved.

Additionally the integrity of the first and/or second surface may bemonitored prior to bringing the first and second surfaces into pressurecontact.

Additionally the purpose of monitoring the first and/or second surfaceis to determine if the first and/or second surfaces have beenconditioned sufficiently to adhere them together.

According to a fifth aspect a method for forming a sealed compositepackage, which may employ a continuous process, involving the steps of(i) conditioning a surface of the package substrate having an adhesivecoating by irradiating the surface using infra-red radiation (ii)adhering the package substrate to a juxtaposed face of a second surfaceand (iii) compressing the two surfaces together using rollers tocomplete the construction process.

According to a sixth aspect an apparatus for forming a completely sealedcomposite package, the apparatus may employ a continuous processinvolving conditioning a surface of the package substrate, the packagesubstrate having an adhesive coating which is reactivated by infra-redradiation and which adheres the package substrate to a juxtaposed faceof a second surface, the apparatus using rollers to compress the twosurfaces together to complete the construction process.

According to a seventh aspect a method of adhering first and secondsurfaces together comprising the steps of, supplying the first andsecond surfaces to a conveyor means, bringing said first and secondsurfaces into contact with each other, conveying the first surface tomeans for conditioning the first surface such that it can be adhered tothe second surface, and applying pressure to both the first and secondsurfaces so that adhesive portions of the first surface are adhered to ajuxtaposed face of the second surface, characterised in that the firstand second surfaces are in continuous motion during the conditioning ofthe first surface and the pressure application.

According to an eighth aspect, the invention provides an apparatushaving means for executing a process on an article while the article isin motion, the apparatus comprising a checking means for assessingwhether the processing means is ready to execute said process, thechecking means comprising a first monitoring means for monitoring theoperation of the processing means, means for supplying a test article tothe processing means and for maintaing the test article in motion whilstthe process is executed, and comprising a second monitoring means formonitoring the integrity of the test article once the process has beenexecuted, the first and second monitoring means each being coupled to acontrol means for determining whether the processing means is readybefore the process is executed on an article and for causing the processto be executed.

Preferably the process is an infra-red heating process and the articleis a paperboard blank and wherein each of the first and secondmonitoring means are temperature sensors and the control means may be acomputer processing unit.

According to a ninth aspect, the invention provides a method of checkingthe capability of an apparatus for processing an article, comprising thesteps of determining if a processing means is ready for processing anarticle, and if so, then supplying a test article to a conveying means,conveying the test article to the processing means, monitoring theintegrity of the test article when it is conveyed from the processingmeans and if the integrity of the test article is within predeterminedcriteria, allowing the apparatus to process the article, or if theintegrity of the test article is outside predetermined criteriapreventing the apparatus from processing the article, and if theprocessing means is not ready to process an article, then causing analert to be issued that the processing means is not so ready andthereafter preventing the apparatus from operating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Three exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich;

FIG. 1. shows a perspective view of a packaging machine according to afirst embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective zoomed in view of an in-feed section of thepackaging machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective zoomed in view of a conditioning section ofthe packaging machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective zoomed in view of a second delivery andcompression section of the packaging machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a zoomed in view of a final section of the packagingmachine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 a shows an enlarged view of a compression section shown in FIG.5;

FIG. 6 shows an example of a blank which may be constructed into asealed carton by the packaging machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows an example of an insert which may be sealed within thecarton constructed from the blank of FIG. 6, by the packaging machineshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of a rejection section of a packagingmachine according to a second aspect of the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a schematic of a first step in the rejection of a packageconstructed by the packaging machine of the second aspect;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic of a second step in the rejection of apackage;

FIG. 11 shows a schematic of a third step in the rejection of a package;

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a rejection system providedwithin the packaging machine of the first embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of sensors and control meansprovided within the rejection system which are used to control therejection of faulty packages; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic flow chart illustrating a warm up mechanismaccording to a third aspect of the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a packaging machine which can condition asurface of a continually moving substrate in preparation of adhering oneor both surfaces of the substrate to a second substrate. Particularlythe packaging machine 50 of the preferred embodiment of the inventioncan reactivate an adhesive agent provided on a substrate, such as apaperboard carton blank 10. The packaging machine 50, as shown in FIG. 1conditions the continuously moving blank 10, using heat, and can alsoperform a series of folding and compression steps which may be requiredto construct a carton or other sealed item from the blank or substrate10.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 6 one example of ablank 10, formed from paperboard or other suitable material, for forminga carton to be constructed and loaded by a packaging machine 50 of oneor more aspects of the present invention. The paperboard blank 10 may beimpregnated or coated on one or more sides by a heat reactivatingadhesive agent. Appropriate coated substrates of this type areavailable, for example, from MeadWestvaco Corporation, sold under thetrademarks Printkote EasySeal® or Printkote EasySeal® Plus.

In this embodiment a unitary blank 10 comprises a series of panelshinged one to the next. Front panels 12, 14 are hinged to rear panels16, 18 along a fold line 20 which bisects the blank 10. In thisembodiment the front and rear panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 are coated on aninside face with a heat reactivating adhesive agent. The front and rearpanels 12, 14, 16 and 18 also comprise a series of apertures 22 designedsuch that two blister packs 4 can be inserted and sealed within apackage formed from the blank 10. An example of a blister pack 4 isshown in FIG. 7. Each blister pack 4 comprises a main panel 6, which maybe formed from aluminium foil; each blister pack 4 also comprises aseries of blisters 3, each for containing a medicament. In thisembodiment a blister pack 4 is secured to each of the front panels 12and 14 using the heat reactivating adhesive. The rear panels 16, 18 arethen folded about fold line 20 and secured to the main panel 6 of theblister pack 4 using the heat reactivating adhesive, to form acompletely sealed package 126.

It is envisaged that the blank 10 can vary depending upon the shapeand/or quantity of articles to be packaged and accordingly, a machine inaccordance with one or more aspects of the present invention isadjustable in numerous respects so that it can process a wide variety ofsuch blanks and is not limited to the specific example outlined above.Indeed a machine of the present invention may be used to package andseal items other than a blister pack within a paperboard carton. Forexample it is envisaged that any material coated or impregnated with aheat reactivating adhesive could be processed using a machine of thepresent invention. A packaging machine of the present invention may alsobe adapted for use with other heat reactivating agents or heat curablematerial and is not limited to use with substrates such as and PrintkoteEasySeal® and Printkote EasySeal® Plus. It is also envisaged that apackaging machine of the present invention may be adapted tocontinuously condition a surface of a substrate for adhesion to a secondsurface by means other than heat reactivation. It is further envisagedthat instead of the unitary blank 10, two or more non-hinged, separateblanks may be used with the present invention to create a carton. It isstill further envisaged that any number of blister packs, such as one ormore than two packs, may be inserted and sealed within a packageaccording to the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a machine 50 forprocessing blanks 10 of the type outlined above. The upstream end of themachine 50 is further illustrated in FIG. 2. The upstream end of themachine 50 includes a first hopper 54, or other suitable storage meansin which a multiplicity of blanks 10, in flat condition, are held readyfor processing. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the blanks 10 are sequentiallyremoved from the first hopper 54 by suitable feeder means, for example,a rotary vacuum feeder 56. The rotary vacuum feeder 56 comprises twopairs of suction cups 58 each being connected to a drive shaft 60 by adrive rod 62. Drive means 64, for example a servo motor, rotates thedrive shaft 60. A cam track and cam rod (not shown) may be provided todefine a uniform path for the suction cups as the drive shaft isrotated.

The first hopper 54 is, in this embodiment, a ‘gravity feed’ typewhereby the blanks 10 are held on the first hopper 54 at an incline toprovide a positive feed. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, a blank 10 in flatcollapsed condition is removed from the first hopper 54 and is rotatedby the vacuum feeder 56 to the in-feed end of the machine. The blank 10is then placed onto suitable conveying means, which in this embodimentof the invention is an endless metallic belt 66, 68, which is providedon either side of a track 70. The blank 10 is placed onto the track 70and suitable means, for example leading and trailing lugs 72, 74 whichare mounted upon the endless metallic bands 66, 68, are used to conveythe carton blank 10 down stream to a first heating station, showngenerally at 76. The metallic bands 66, 68 are tensioned betweenrotating pulleys 78 which are positioned, one at the upstream end andone at the down stream end of the machine 50. The endless metallic belts66, 68 convey the blanks 10 into and through first and second heatingsections 76, 114. The metallic belts 66, 68 are arranged to follow areturn path which is outside of the heating stations, this allows themetallic bands 66, 68 to cool during the return path. The metallic bands66, 68 are also provided with an idler wheel disposed adjacent therotating pulleys 78 which enables the tension in the metallic belts 66,68 to be adjusted in response to any changes caused by the heating andcooling of the metallic belts 66, 68. In other embodiments it isenvisaged that other means may be used to cool the metallic bands, forexample, a water cooling system or cooling fan may be employed. It isalso envisaged that the endless belts may be formed of other materialsuch as fire retardant material. In other embodiments of the inventionthe blank 10 may actually rest upon upper edges of the metallic bandsand the lugs and or track may therefore not be necessary.

The first heating station 76 is shown in FIG. 3. The first heatingstation 76 is comprises a hood 80 which encloses a section of the track70. A heating element 82 is provided, which in this embodiment of theinvention is a series of medium wavelength infra-red strip lamps 82. Theinfra-red lamps 82 radiate heat energy directly onto the blanks 10. Theblank 10 absorbs the broad wavelength infra-red radiation and thus thesurface temperature of the blank 10 and the temperature of the heatreactivating adhesive are increased. As the blank 10 traverses the track70 beneath the infra-red lamps 82 the heat sensitive adhesive isreactivated.

The temperature (T1) of the infra-red heating element 82 in the firstheating element 82 may be monitored by one or more, closely positioned,temperature sensors. A cooling-fan is employed to control thetemperature (T1) of the infra-red heating element 82. In this embodimentof the invention the infra-red heating element 82 is a series of threeparallel elongate elements. However it is envisaged that the orientationof the elongate elements may differ and indeed alternative shapedelements could be used without departing from the scope of theinvention.

The length of track 70 enclosed by the hood 80 and the linear speed atwhich the blanks are conveyed through that length of track 70 determinesthe time period in which the blanks 10 are exposed to the heat radiatingfrom the infra-red lamps 82. The intensity of the heat radiation fromthe infra-red lamps 82 and the time period of exposure determine thetemperature increase of the blank 10 and heat reactivating adhesive. Thelinear speed of the conveyor and intensity of the infra-red lamps 82 areconstant and predetermined to achieve a pre-selected temperatureincrease. In this embodiment of the invention a temperature increase ofthe blank 10 to around 150 degrees Celsius is required to activate theadhesive. In other embodiments of the invention, the speed of conveyanceof the blanks 10, the length of the heating element 82 and the intensityof the radiation may each be adapted in order to achieve a desiredtemperature increase of the blank 10 during the continuous conditioningstage. In this way other heat reactivated agents and package materialsother than paperboard can be accommodated by the packaging machine 50.

The blanks 10 may also be heated by convection currents flowing withinthe hood, however in this embodiment of the invention the air flowwithin the hood 80 is controlled by an extraction fan. The extractionfan enables the amount of air and resulting convection currents to becontrolled. In other embodiments, the ambient temperature within thehood 80 may be finely controlled by use of temperature sensors and acomputerised feedback system coupled to the sensors and the hot airextraction system. Smoke detectors may also be positioned within thehood 80 as an additional safety precaution.

A guide panel 92 is provided above the blanks 10 to secure and guide theblanks 10 as they traverse the track 70 beneath the first heatingstation 76. The guide panel 92 maintains the blanks 10 in a flatcondition so that the exposed surfaces of the blanks 10 are evenlyheated by the radiating heating element 82. The guide panel 92 is shapedso that no specific portion of the blank 10 is completely andcontinually obscured from exposure to the radiating heating element 82.In other embodiments of the invention it is anticipated that the guidepanel 92 could be contoured to deliberately obscure a specific portionof the blank 10 or other substrate from exposure to the heating element82. It is also envisaged that the guide element 92 could be cooled; forexample the guide element may be a copper or other heat conductive metaltube which could be cooled by water flowing within the tube. The guideelement 92 may also be provided with sensors to detect the presence of ablank 10 or may be provided with smoke, temperature or other safetysensing means.

After the blanks 10 have been heated within the first heating station76, they are successively transferred to a loading station 84; this isshown in FIG. 4. The loading station 84 comprises a suitable deliverymeans, such as a magazine or second hopper 86, of the gravity feed type,to sequentially deliver the blister packs 4. The second hopper 86 feedspairs of blister packs 4 onto a delivery wheel 88. The delivery wheel 88is provided with a series of shaped receiving troughs each of which canaccommodate a blister pack 4 from the second hopper 86. A pair ofblister packs 4 is received by two adjacent shaped troughs at the top ofthe delivery wheel 88, which is then rotated in a clockwise direction.

The delivery wheel 88 is driven by a servo motor and further comprises aguide frame 90, which is provided to prevent the blister packs 4 fromfalling free of the delivery wheel 88 as it is rotated. A second rotaryvacuum feeder 98, which comprises one pair of suction cups 100sequentially removes one pair of blister packs 4 from the bottom of thedelivery wheel and places them onto a blank 10. The conveyance of theblanks 10 into alignment with the blister packs 4 as they are deliveredis synchronized by a control means, such as a computer coupled to theservo motors used to drive the belts 66, 68 and delivery wheel 88. Theblisters 3 of the blister packs 6 are received in the apertures 22 ofthe blank 10. The second hopper 86 and delivery wheel 88 are located inclose proximity to the end of the first heating station 76 so that theblank 10 is maintained sufficiently close to the temperature required toreactivate the heat sensitive adhesive. The blister packs 4, if only oneside of which are aluminium coated are placed onto the front panels 12,14 of the blank 10 with the aluminium sides facing upwards. Thenon-aluminium side is then secured in place onto the blank 10 by thereactivated adhesive on the front panels 12, 14.

The blanks 10 with the blister packs 4 are then sequentially fed betweentwo compressing rollers 102, 104. The rollers 102, 104 are spaced apartand each compressing roller 102, 104 comprises at least one shaped pad106, 108. The pads 106, 108 are each sized and shaped to accommodate twoblister packs 4 disposed adjacent one another and to protect the blisterpacks 4 from damage. The blank 10 with the blister packs 4 adhered tothe front panels 12, 14, is fed between the rollers 102/104. Theadhesive on the rear panels 16, 18 may still be activated and so therear panels 16, 18 of the blank 10 pass between the spaced rollers 102,104 without making contact with the rollers 102, 104.

Compressing roller 102 is rotated by a drive means in a clockwisedirection, whilst the compressing roller 104 is rotated by a similardrive means in an anticlockwise direction. In this way as the rollers102, 104 rotate the blank 10 and blister packs 4 are fed through. Thetiming of the rollers 102, 104 is such that the shaped pads 106, 108simultaneously contact the underside of the front panels 12, 14 of theblank 10 and the main panel 6 of the blister packs 4. Thus the rearpanels 16, 18 pass through the roller without making contact andpressure applied to the blank 10 and blister packs 4 ensures that theblister packs 4 are adhered to the front panels 12, 14. In otherembodiments of the invention, it is envisaged that the compressionstage, which ensures that the two surfaces are securely adhered, may notbe required or may be achieved by means other that the use of rollers.It is also envisaged that the compression stage could be performedsimultaneously with the conditioning of the first surface. It is alsoenvisaged that the compression of the two surfaces could in fact beemployed to condition one or both surfaces for gluing, if for examplecompression reactivating adhesive was employed.

The blanks 10, with two blister packs 4 adhered to the front panels 12,14, traverse the track 70, being conveyed by the lugs 72, 74 mountedupon the metallic bands 66, 68. A flipper 110, which comprises moveablearms 112, is provided downstream of the compression rollers 102, 104.The moveable arms 112 are positioned such that they intercept theleading edge of a blank 10. The moveable arms 112 are, in thisembodiment, spring loaded and provide a means for folding the cartonblank 10 about fold line 20. The rear panels 16, 18 are brought intoface contacting relation with the main panel 6 disposed above the frontpanels 12, 14 respectively. The moveable arms 112 resist the forwardmotion of the rear panels 12, 14, thus causing the panels to be foldedabout fold line 20. As the rear panels 16, 18 are lifted out of theplane of the front panels 12, 14, the moveable arms 112 are caused to bedisplaced above the track. Once the folding is complete the moveablearms 112 can return to their original starting position in preparationof intercepting a successive blank 10.

The folded blank 10 is conveyed further downstream to a second heatingstation 114. The second heating station 114 is similar to the firstheating station 76 and therefore is not described in detail. The heatactivated adhesive on the inner face of the rear panels 14, 16 isreactivated by an infra-red heating element similar to that described inthe first heating station 76. Radiation is exposed to the outer surfaceof the rear panels 16, 18 and is absorbed by the rear panels 16, 18,sufficiently to reactivate the adhesive agent on the inner surface ofthe panels. During the second heating phase, any exposed part of thealuminium blister pack 4 may reflect any incident infra-red radiationand thus prevent undesirable heating of the blister pack 4 andmedicaments contained within the blisters 3.

To complete the sealing process the folded blank 10 is conveyed to afinal compressing section 116 as shown in FIG. 5. The final compressingsection 116 comprises two rollers 118, 120, one of which is providedwith a series of indentations which receive the blisters 3 of theblister pack 4 as shown in FIG. 5 a. The folded blank 10 is sandwichedbetween the rollers to ensure that the rear panels 16, 18 are securelyadhered to the outer face of the blister pack. In this way the machine50 constructs a fully sealed package 126, which is formed by acontinuous process. The blister pack 4 may be sized smaller than thefront or rear panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 and in which case portions of thefront panels 12, 14 will be directly adhered to portions of the rearpanels 16, 18.

The machine 50 of the present invention is also provided with a seriesof safety sensors. An emergency operating condition may be triggered byone or more of the sensing elements feeding back an alerting signal. Forexample a smoke detector within the hood 80 of the first heating station76 may feedback a signal to indicate the presence of smoke. This alertcan trigger an emergency condition whereby the delivery of carton blanks10 and blister packs 4 from the first and second hoppers 54, is stoppedby the servo motors operating the rotary vacuum feeders 56. Theconveying means however continues to operate so that any remainingblanks 10 are removed from beneath the first and second heating stations76, thus reducing the risk of a blank 10 combusting within the machine50. A series of control sensors are also provided to monitor thepresence of a blank 10 and blister pack 4 during the constructionprocess.

Further modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention. For example, it is envisaged that the step ofconditioning the first surface in preparation for adhering to a secondsurface may be achieved by means other than using heat radiation toreactivate a heat sensitive adhering agent already coated upon the firstsubstrate. In other embodiments it is envisaged that the substrate maybe provided with an adhesive agent which is reactivated by pressure, forexample, a micro capsule type agent which may be coated on the substrateand which can be activated by compressing the first and second surfacesand thereby adhering the surfaces together. Alternatively the adhesiveagent provided on the first surface may be reactivated by contact withwater or steam. This conditioning may be performed prior to compressingthe first and second surfaces together or indeed in conjunction with thecompression stage. Furthermore, the first substrate may be conditionedby coating or impregnating the surface with an adhesive agent during thecontinuous conditioning process. For example an adhesive may be sprayedor applied by other means, to coat the surface of the first substrateduring the continuous conditioning process.

It is also envisaged that other suitable conveying means may be employedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. For example endlessside lug chains may be used, with leading and trailing lugs mounted uponthe endless chains. It is envisaged that the endless chains could bespaced from the main track such that the endless chains do not passthrough the conditioning section, which may be of a temperature notsuitable for any lubricant used on the endless chains. In such anembodiment it is envisaged that the lugs mounted on the lug chains mayextend sufficiently from the lug chains to convey a blank 10 along thetrack 70. Alternatively endless lug chains may be used and positionedsuch that they do pass through the heating stations but they may beprovided with high temperature lubricant or indeed shielded from theradiating heat or provided with a cooling means.

Furthermore it is anticipated that where the conditioning phase isachieved by means of radiation, the wavelength of the radiation maydiffer from the broad wavelength infra-red range. For example in someapplications microwave radiation could be used to condition the surfaceof a substrate in preparation of adhering the surface to a secondsubstrate. It is also envisaged that a computer controlled and dynamicheating process could be used in which the temperature within a heatingstation 76 is ramped up and ramped down to provide a more gradualheating process. Separate infra-red lamps 82 may be needed in such anembodiment to allow the intensity of the infra-red lamps to beindividually controlled along the linear path of the heating station 76.

It can be appreciated that various changes may be made within the scopeof the present invention, for example, the size and shape of the hoppersand track may be adjusted to accommodate cartons of differing size orshape. It is also possible that the length and/or number of heatingstations may be adjusted to facilitate the construction of analternative carton. FIGS. 8 to 14 illustrate further aspects of thepresent invention, which will now be described by way of example onlyand to illustrate some of the changes or additions that can be made,whilst keeping within the scope of the present invention.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the packaging machine 350,which is similar to the packaging machine 50 of the first embodiment,further comprises a rejection system 440. The rejection system 440 has arejection mechanism 330 provided at the output end of the packagingmachine 350 as shown in FIG. 8. The rejection system 440 furthercomprises a control means 400 coupled to the rejection mechanism 330.The control means 400 is coupled to one or more sensors (S) whichmonitor the state and quality of the blanks throughout the constructionprocess.

For applications such as in the pharmaceutical industry where thepackaged article is a blister pack of medication, it is desirable thatthe blister pack is firmly held within the package. Paperboard materialcomprises a series aligned cellulose fibres which are bonded together.The heat reactivated adhesive provided on the paperboard blank issufficiently strong to create an adhesive bond between a paperboardsurface and another surface such that if the two substrates are pulledapart, before the adhesive bond will break, the fibre bond of thepaperboard material will first be forced to tear. In order to achievethis bond, the heat reactivating adhesive must be sufficiently heatedand the surfaces to be bonded together may need to be compressivelycontacted. Additionally it is important that during the conditioningphase the package and the packaged article are monitored to ensure thatthe article is in no way damaged or spoiled. The quality checks andsafety sensors of the packaging machine are provided to ensure theintegrity of the package and the packaged article, where integrityshould be taken to mean the quality of being unimpaired.

Various, safety sensors which may monitor the state of the packagingmachine 350 may also be coupled to the control means 400. The qualityand safety sensors (S) which monitor the state of the blanks andcondition of the packaging machine 350 communicate with the controlmeans to which they are coupled. Signals or data messages transmittedfrom the sensors (S) to the control means 400 may give rise to arejection signal or alert. The rejection signal or alert signalindicates that either a particular blank in the production process hasfailed to meet necessary standards or that a fault or hazard exists inthe packaging machine 350.

In order to track the progress of each individual blank through thepackaging machine, each pitch of the conveyor means is allocated aunique identifier. The progress of each blank can then be followed bythe control means 400. If at some point during the progress of a blankthrough the construction process a sensor (S) feeds back a signal whichgives rise to a rejection signal, the control means 400 registers thatthe blank located at that uniquely identifiable pitch should berejected. The rejection signal is logged against the specific pitch sothat the faulty blank or carton can be identified at the rejectionmechanism 330 and discarded therefrom.

The rejection mechanism 330, as shown in FIG. 8, comprises an overheadlug belt 334, which is provided with lugs 336. The lugs 336 of theoverhead belt 334 convey a constructed carton or finished package 326from the compressing rollers 318 along a guide rail 340. The guide rail340 is provided with a moveable section or displaceable portion 332.During the construction of the package 326 the temperature and positionof the blank are monitored by the sensors (S). If a package does notmeet the required standards a rejection signal will be recorded againstthe pitch of the conveyer containing the package 326. The progress ofthe package 326 through the packaging machine 350 will be tracked andthe faulty package 338 will be rejected when it reaches the rejectionmechanism 330. The faulty package 338 will be extracted by thedisplaceable portion 332. The displaceable portion 332 is positioned inthe plane of the guide rail 340 and can be moved into an open positionto facilitate the removal of a faulty package 338. The displaceableportion 332 is hinged to the guide rail and can be pivoted about thehinged connection, it is anticipated that other means for displacing thedisplaceable portion could be used. The displaceable portion 332 is alsopositioned above a rotary air cylinder 328. The rotary air cylinder 328can provide an air jet to assist the rejection of the faulty package bypropelling it from the displaceable portion 332 into a waste outlet (W).

Schematic illustrations showing the operation of the displaceableportion 332 to reject a faulty package 338 are shown in FIGS. 9-11. Itis envisaged that means other than the displaceable portion 332 could beused to extract a faulty package 338 without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. For example an articulated arm could be used topick a faulty package 338 up from the conveyer means or indeed theconveyer means could have channels to provide a different path for thefaulty package 338 compared to the path of an acceptable finishedpackage 326.

An example rejection system 440 which may be used to monitor theprogress of a blank through the packaging machine 350 will now bedescribed in more detail. FIG. 12 shows a schematic of the packagingmachine 350, rejection system 440 and sensors (S) which are provided ateach section of the packaging machine 350. Since the blister packscontain medicaments the state of the packs, for example theirtemperature, must be monitored closely. Each sensor (S) is used todetect a fault with a blank, for example the temperature of the blankbeing outside an accepted range. If any of the quality sensors detects afault with a blank, the control means 400 will identify the blank by itspitch position and register that the identified blank should be rejectedat the output end. The quality sensors are coupled to the control means400, which is in turn coupled to the rejection mechanism 330.

Safety sensors are also provided which are used to monitor the operationof the packaging machine, for example if the temperature of the heatingelement is outside an acceptable operating range, this will be detectedby a temperature sensor 408 positioned in close proximity to the heatingelement 82. The safety sensors are connected to the control means 400;in an alternative embodiment they may each be provided with individualcontrol means. In this way if a fault is detected by a safety sensor,the control means to which it is coupled could be directly coupled to analarm or warning light for alerting an operator of a hazard withoutfirst having to couple to the control means 400. Information collectedfrom both the safety and quality sensors can be collated by the controlmeans 400 and analysed for the purpose of fault finding or for improvingthe efficiency of the packaging machine 350.

The control means 400 can be configured to cause the packaging machine350 to shut down in response to a safety sensor detecting a fault withthe machine. The fault detected may invoke a particular shut down oremergency condition. To shut down the packaging machine 350, the rotaryvacuum feeders in the blank and blister pack feed sections 342, 344 arestopped. The conveyor means may continue to operate for a set periodafter the blanks and blisters have stopped being fed in order to removeany paperboard blanks and/or blister packs which may be beneath theheating elements so that the risk of fire is reduced. The hoods of thefirst and second heating sections may also be provided with a mechanismto allow the hoods to be automatically lifted above the conveyer trackin response to a received signal which has been transmitted by thecontrol means 400 during a shut down or emergency operating condition.Each hood may be controlled and operated individually in response to thefault detected.

The rejection system 440 and quality and safety sensors provided in thepresent invention will now be described in more detail with reference toFIGS. 12 and 13.

FIG. 12 shows a schematic of the packaging machine 350 and rejectionmechanism 330. At the in feed end of the packaging machine 350, a sensor402 is provided to detect if the first hopper is empty of blanks. Suchsensors 402 are known in the art and can detect the presence of a cartonblank. The sensor 402 is coupled to the control means 400 and can beused to raise an alarm if the first hopper is empty of blanks. If thefirst hopper is empty, a second signal may be transmitted from thecontrol means 400 to the second hopper of the blister feed 344. Thesecond hopper of the blister feed 344 may comprise a mechanism which canprevent a blister from being fed. Therefore the unnecessary waste ofblisters can be prevented by not feeding blisters when there is no blankpresent to receive them.

Also, within the blank feed section 342, sensors (S) are provided todetect a blank which has not been correctly fed from the hopper. A blankcan be misfed for example if after being picked up by the suction cups,it is incorrectly placed on the track or if two blanks are erroneouslypicked up simultaneously. The sensor 404 can detect that a blank hasbeen misfed and is coupled to the control means 400. The sensor 404 mayemploy a series of optical beams to detect the leading and trailingedges of the blanks. An error in the placement of a blank may bedetected by the optical beam being interrupted too soon or not beinginterrupted at all if a blank is missing. If a blank is misfed thecontrol means 400 can identify the pitch of the blank and register areject logic against the pitch. The misfed blank will then be rejectedwhen it reaches the rejection mechanism 330. A second signal may also betransmitted by the control means 400 to the second hopper of the blisterfeed 344 to trigger the mechanism to prevent a blister from being fed.In this way the unnecessary rejection and waste of blister packs isprevented.

A correct-blank-type sensor 406 is also provided within the blank feedsection 342. The correct-blank-type sensor 406 is used to monitor thetype of blank which has been placed on the track from the hopper. Thesensor 406 is used to detect that the correct type of blank is present.It is envisaged that this sensor 406 may be a barcode reader positionedto read a barcode printed on each blank. The barcode can be used toidentify the type of blank, for example a type of blank specificallyprinted for containing a particular course of a medication. The blankidentity can then be checked by the control means 400 to ensure that thecorrect blank has been placed on the conveyor. It is envisaged thatother means for identifying and checking that the correct carton hasbeen placed on the conveyor could also be used, for example a cameracould be positioned to monitor the colour of the graphics printed on theblank. The correct-blank-type sensor 406 is coupled to the control means400 and if an incorrect blank is detected a reject signal will beregistered against the pitch where the fault was detected. A secondsignal may also be transmitted from the control means to prevent ablister from being fed onto the incorrect carton blank and thereforeprevent unnecessary waste of pharmaceutical products contained withinthe blister packs.

A series of conveyor sensors 424 may be present periodically throughoutthe packaging machine 350. The conveyor sensors 424 may be positioned onthe track and can be used to monitor the progress of the conveyedblanks. The conveyer sensors 424 can detect a missing blank or maydetect a jam on the conveyor if two or more blanks become staggered. Theconveyer sensors 424 may operate in a similar manner to the sensor 404for detecting a misfeed. An optical beam or pair of optical beams,spaced along the track at intervals determined by the blank type, can beused to detect the leading and trailing edges of a blank. The conveyorsensors 424 are each coupled to the control means 400. If a fault isdetected a rejection signal may be sent to the rejection mechanism 330to reject the faulty package 328. If a jam is detected in the packagingmachine the control means 400 may be configured to alert a machineoperator of the location of the jam.

A variety of safety and quality sensors (S) are located in the firstheating section 376. A heating element sensor 408, which is coupled tothe control means 400, is provided to detect if the heating element isoperating. It is envisaged that the heating element sensor 408 may becoupled to the heating element's power supply. The heating elementsensor 408 may operate by detecting that an electrical current is drawnby the heating element from the power supply. If the sensor 408 detectsthat no current is drawn by the heating element, the control means 400can be used to indicate that a fault exists with the heating element.The control means 400 may also initiate a shut down procedure inresponse to the detected fault with the heating element and the hood ofthe first heating station 376 may automatically be lifted above theconveyor to allow access to the heating element and to facilitate anyrepair work which may be necessary.

A first temperature sensor 410 is also provided within the first heatingsection 376 to measure the temperature of the heating element. Thetemperature may be continuously monitored whilst the packaging machine350 is in operation to ensure that the heating element temperature iswithin an acceptable range. The information regarding the temperature ofthe heating element is transmitted to the control means 400. If theoperating temperature is within an unacceptable range, which may behazardous or may affect process efficiency, the control means 400 mayinvoke an emergency shut down of the packaging machine or initiate othercourses of action depending upon the circumstances. However under normaloperating conditions, the control means 400, which is also directlycoupled to the heating element, can adjust the amount of electricalpower supplied to the heating element in order to regulate itstemperature. The temperature of the heating element is therebycontrolled accordingly with the surface temperature of the blanks, whichis measured by a third temperature sensor 414 after the blanks have beenconditioned in the first heating section 376.

Smoke detectors may also be provided in the hood of the first heatingsection 376. If the presence of smoke is detected an alarm may beimmediately raised and the emergency shut down condition may be invoked.

A second temperature sensor 412 may also be provided within the firstheating section 376 to monitor the temperature (T1) of the ambient air.The second temperature sensor 412 is also coupled to the control means400 and the information from the second temperature sensor 412 istransmitted to the control means 400. The control means 400 may beconfigured such that the received information can be used to alter theamount or rate of air extraction from the hood of the heating station inorder to control the amount of heating of the blanks as they areconveyed through the heating sections. The control means 400 maytherefore be coupled to the extraction fan to increase or decrease therate of revolution of the fan or may be coupled to an inlet and/oroutlet valve provided on the air extraction mechanism of the hood todynamically control the amount of air within the heating section 376.

Finally a third temperature sensor 414, such as a pyrometer, is providedat the down stream end of the first heating station 376. This is used tomeasure the surface temperature (T3) of each blank after it has beenheated by the heating element. The temperature sensor 414 is, in thisembodiment of the invention, a non-contact sensor which employsinfra-red radiation to determine the surface temperature of the blank.The third temperature sensor 414 is coupled to the control means 400 andmeasures the blank temperature at a spot on the surface of the blank. Ifthe temperature of the heated blank is not within an accepted range asignal will be transmitted by the control means 400 and the blank willbe rejected by the rejection mechanism 330. In this embodiment thetemperature sensor is positioned within close proximity to the out feedend of the heating station and therefore within close proximity to thesecond hopper which supplies the blister packs. The close proximity ofthe blister feed 344 to the third temperature sensor 414 means that thedelivery of the blister onto the faulty blank cannot be prevented andtherefore the blister and blank both have to be rejected. In otherembodiments it is envisaged that the third temperature sensor 414 couldbe located to allow the blister feed to be prevented or indeed anothermechanism for preventing a blister from being placed onto a faulty blankcould be employed. It is also anticipated that more than one temperaturesensor 414 could be employed to monitor the temperature of the blank.This may be especially useful if the surface is selectively heated toachieve different temperatures at different points on the blank toselectively reactivate the adhesive.

At the blister feed section 344 a sensor 416, coupled to the controlmeans 400, is provided to monitor the contents of the second hopper andan alert signal can be transmitted if the hopper is empty. A furthersensor 418 is employed to check that the blisters have been placed on ablank at all and that any blisters placed are aligned correctly on theblank. If any fault is detected a rejection signal will be logged andthe package will be discarded by the rejection mechanism 330. Acorrect-blister-type sensor 420 is also provided to detect if theincorrect type of blister pack is fed onto a carton blank. Thecorrect-blister-type sensor 420 is coupled to the control means 400 andif the incorrect type of blister is detected a reject signal will betransmitted by the control means to the rejection mechanism 330 toreject the blank and blister.

A pressure sensor 422 is provided between the compression rollers 318 todetect any abnormality in the pressure applied by the rollers to thepackage being formed. The pressure sensor 422 may detect that thepackage has been incorrectly fed between the rollers and that thecontent of the blister may therefore have been damaged. If the pressuresensor 422 detects that the compression rollers 318 have applied apressure to the package which is outside of an acceptable range, thecontrol means 400 will transmit a rejection signal and the package willbe discarded by the rejection mechanism 330. In this way any blank whichis not securely sealed or contains a damaged blister pack will beidentified and rejected.

The packaging machine of the present invention is provided with asimilar set of sensors in the second heating section 314 to those of thefirst heating section 376. Therefore the sensors of the second heatingsection 314 and second compression section 318 will not be described indetail. The second heating section is provided with a heating elementsensor 408 and first, second and third temperature sensors 410, 412, 414which are each coupled to the control means 400 and monitor theoperation and temperature of the heating element, the ambient air (T2)within the hood and the temperature of the conditioned blank surface.The second compression roller 318 is also provided with a pressuresensor 422 to ensure that the conditioned first surface is securelyadhered to the second surface and that no damage to the blister packoccurs. The third temperature sensor 414 of the second heating stationmay be employed to measure either the temperature of the blank or of thealuminium face of the blister pack. It is anticipated that, if required,two sensors 414 could be used to measure the temperature of both theblank and the aluminium face of the blister pack.

The packaging machine 350 may also be provided with a safety sensor tomonitor the temperature of the cooling agent used within the guidepanels 92.

It is envisaged that the rejection system 440 may be altered withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. For example it isanticipated that the control means 400 may also be coupled to the drivemeans of various components of the packaging machine 350. For examplethe control means 400 may be coupled to a servo motor used to drive thesecond rotary vacuum feeder for feeding the blisters onto the blanks.The control means 400 could therefore be configured to respond to thesensor 416, which is provided at the blister feed section 344 to detectan empty hopper. If the sensor 416 detects an empty hopper, the controlmeans 400 could automatically respond by stopping the rotary vacuumfeeder.

In other embodiments of the invention it is also envisaged that therejection mechanism 330 may be adapted to accommodate different sizedarticles or indeed more than one rejection mechanism may be provided. Itis envisaged that means other than the displaceable portion 332 could beused to extract a faulty package 338 without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. For example an articulated arm could be used toremove a faulty package 338 from the conveyer means or indeed theconveyer means could have channels to provide a different path for thefaulty package 338 to the path of a satisfactory finished package 326.

It is also anticipated that an alternative sensor to the thirdtemperature sensor may be employed without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. The integrity of the blank, carton or otherobject may be monitored throughout the construction process however thethird temperature sensor is provided to specifically monitor theintegrity of the first and/or second surface to ensure that the firstand/or second surfaces of an object are correctly conditioned inpreparation of being adhered together. For example it is envisaged thatif the first and or second surfaces of the blank, carton or other objectare conditioned by means other than heat, such as by humidity or bypressure, the sensor provided to monitor the integrity of the carton toensure that the first and or second surfaces of the carton are properlyconditioned may be a humidity sensor or pressure sensor rather than atemperature sensor. It is envisaged that the sensor employed to monitorthe integrity and conditioning of the first and or second surfaces, maybe coupled to the control means to allow for interactive adjustment ofthe conditioning means in response to the amount of conditioning of thefirst and or second surfaces. For example a humidity sensor may feedback a signal to the control means indicating that the measured humidityof the first surface is outside predetermined criteria. This may resultin the object comprising the first surface being rejected by therejection mechanism but may also result in the control meanstransmitting a signal to the means for conditioning the first surface,i.e. a humidity source. The control means may cause the amount ofhumidity provided by the source to be adjusted in response to theintegrity of the first surface being measured and being found to notcomply with predetermined criteria regarding the humidity of the surfacerequired for adhesion. The operating conditions of the packaging machine450 can thereby be interactively controlled to ensure that the down timefor correcting the operating conditions is minimized and to refine thequality control of the package to ensure that the integrity of thepackage is maintained within an accurate quality range.

In other embodiments of the invention it is also envisaged that anextinguishing system may be provided in case of a fire or emergency. Theextinguishing system may be coupled directly to a smoke detector or maybe coupled to the control means 400 which could deploy the extinguishingsystem in the event of smoke and/or high blank temperature beingdetected. The extinguishing system may be a gas extinguisher, such ascarbon dioxide.

A third aspect of the invention relates to an initial start-up operationof the packaging machine 50 which was described in the first embodimentwith reference to FIGS. 1-8. Reference to these figures will be made inconnection with the foregoing description since features shown thereinwill also be relevant to the description of the initial start-upoperation of the packaging machine 50. Reference will also be made toFIG. 14 which shows a schematic flow chart illustrating exemplary stepsthat can be taken to ensure that the packaging machine is operatingunder the correct conditions during the initial start-up operation.

The initial start up operation is intended to ensure that the mechanismsfor conditioning a package blank for adhesion with an article, such as ablister pack, to be securely contained within the package are operatingcorrectly before any such articles are fed from the article feed 86. Inthe specific embodiment herein described the conditioning means isprovided by first and second heating elements 76 and 80 which are shownin FIG. 1. The additional aspect of an initial start up operation willtherefore be described in the context of a packaging machine employing aheating means 82 for conditioning a carton blank. However it should beunderstood that the initial start-up operation to be described is notlimited in its application to a packaging machine having heating meansand could readily be applied to a packaging machine utilizing otherconditioning means.

The first step of the initial start-up is a slow-run warm up 530,wherein the first and second heating elements 76, 114 are activated. Theconveyer means 66, 68 is also activated but no blanks or blisters arefed from their respective hoppers 54, 86. The temperature T1 of theambient air inside the hood 80 of the first heating station 76 ismeasured by a temperature sensor 412. The temperature T1 is measured fora time t during which time the measured temperature T1 is checkedagainst a desired operational temperature which is required forconditioning a blank. When T1 reaches the conditioning temperature, oris within an acceptable temperature range for conditioning, for example150° C.+/−5° C., a bell will sound or another signal will be given. Thebell or signal indicates that the first conditioning means, in this casefirst heating station 76 is ready for conditioning a substrate, such asthe paperboard blank of the present example. This step is illustrated bystep 512 in FIG. 14.

If however during a pre-set time limit t_(max) T1 has not reached therequired temperature 558, then the slow run warm up 530 will be stoppedand an alarm signal or error report will be sent from the centralcontrol means 400 to indicate to an operator that there is an error withthe first conditioning means 76. This will indicate for example that oneof the infra-red heating lamps 82 of the first heating section 76 is notworking and enable a machine operator to address the problem. Inchecking the correct operation of the machine before sending anyblisters 4, the need for rejecting and hence wasting any pharmaceuticalpreparations is alleviated. This step is shown in steps 558 and 560 ofFIG. 14.

A similar method is used to control and check the operation of thesecond conditioning element, which in this example is a second heatingsection 114. In other embodiments it is envisaged that there may be moreor less than two conditioning elements and that where more than oneconditioning element is used, each element may condition a substrateusing a different technique. However in the embodiment presentlydescribed, a second heating section 114 is employed and the temperatureT2 of the ambient air within the hood 80 of the second heating section114 is measured to check whether the second conditioning element isready for conditioning. Again T2 will be measured 612 until either thecorrect temperature is reached or the time for which T2 should bemeasured (t_(max)) is reached. Again if T2 has not reached an optimumoperating temperature, an alerting signal will be raised and the slowrun warm-up 530 will be stopped 564. The machine operator will know thata problem exists with the second conditioning means 114. The steps 612,570 and 564 are illustrated schematically in FIG. 14.

If T1 and T2 are both measured to be within the optimum conditioningrange 586 a single blank will be feed 542 and conveyed through thepackaging machine 50, 350 to check that the blank will be conditionedcorrectly. In order to carry out an accurate assessment of theconditioning of the blank, the blank is conveyed at full speed so thatit is present beneath the infra-red heating lamps for the correct amountof time. When the blank exits the first heating section 76 a temperaturesensor 414 is used to accurately measure the surface temperature of theblank. The preferred type of temperature sensor 414 is a pyrometer,which is a non-contact sensor employing infra-red radiation to determinethe surface temperature of the blank. The third temperature sensor 414is coupled to the control means 400 and measures the blank temperatureat a spot on the surface of the blank. If the temperature T3 of theconditioned blank is not within an accepted range a signal will betransmitted by the control means 400. If only one test blank has beenconveyed than a further blank will be fed and its temperature T3measured after the first conditioning means. If the measurement of T3 isagain not within a range which is acceptable for ensuring properadhesion of the substrate surfaces by the heat reactivated adhesive, asignal will be sent by the control means 400 to stop the packagingmachine 50, 350. If however temperature T3 is measured and found to becorrect a bell will sound to indicate that this is the case. Whateverthe outcome of the measurement of T3 the first or second test blank willbe conveyed through the second heating section and its temperature T4will be measured immediately it exits the second conditioning section.If T4 is not correct and if only one test blank has been fed 552 asecond test blank will be fed 542 and T4 measured again 614. If T4 isstill measured 614 to be outside the optimum range the packaging machine50, 350 will be stopped 580 and an error report sent via a signal fromthe control means 400 to alert the operator to the problem. The steps614, 552 and 580 are illustrated in FIG. 14.

If however T3 514 and T4 614 are both correct 584, then the packagingmachine 50, 350, is operating correctly and ready to run. The machinewill continue to run at full speed with blanks and blisters both beingfed at full speed. The operation of the machine thereafter is controlledand the quality of the packaged blisters monitored as described withreference to FIG. 13.

It will be apparent that changes may be made to the foregoing withoutdeparting from the invention described. For example the way in which thereadiness of the or each conditioning element is assessed before asubstrate is conveyed for conditioning may depend upon the way in whichthe conditioning is carried out. For example if the conditioning meansis a humidifying means then a humidity sensor will be employed to checkthat the conditioning means is ready. Additionally the way in whichalarm signals or indicating bells are arranged can easily be varieddepending upon the types of test carried out and the methodology of thecontrol means. Furthermore it is envisaged that this aspect of theinvention may be used in conjunction with or separately from thepackaging apparatus of the first and second embodiments.

1. A method of adhering a plurality of first and second surfacestogether comprising the steps of, (a) sequentially supplying the firstand second surfaces to a conveyor means, (b) conveying the first surfaceto means for conditioning the first surface such that it can be adheredto the second surface, and/or (c) bringing one each of said first andsecond surfaces into pressure contact so that adhesive portions of thefirst surface are adhered to a juxtaposed face of the second surfacewherein at two of the sequential first surfaces are conditionedsimutaneously and are in continuous motion during the conditioning stepand said one each of the first and second surfaces are in continuousmotion during pressure contact.
 2. A method according to claim 1 whereinthe first surface comprises an adhesive coating which is conditioned byheat.
 3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the means forconditioning the first surface comprises a heating element.
 4. A methodaccording to claim 2 wherein the second surface comprise an adhesivecoating which is conditioned by heat and the sequence of second surfacesis conveyed to a heating element for conditioning of the adhesivecoating.
 5. A method according to claims 1, wherein the first surfaceforms a front panel of an outer package and the second surface forms afirst surface of an article, and wherein the article is to be securedwithin the outer package, wherein the method comprises the further stepsof: conveying the rear panel to a conditioning means for conditioningmeans for conditioning such that it can be adhered to the second articlesurface and bringing the rear panel and the second article surface intopressure contact so that adhesive portions of the rear panel are adheredto the second article surface thereby adhesively securing the articlewithin the outer package.
 6. A method according to claim 3wherein theheating element emits infra-red radiation.
 7. A method according to anypreceding claim 1 wherein the steps of conditioning the first surfaceand bringing the first surface and second surface into pressure contactoccur substantially simultaneously.
 8. A method according to anypreceding claim 1 wherein the steps of bringing the first surface andsecond surface into pressure contact is facilitated by a pair of rollersand said first and second surfaces are compressed between the rollers.9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the heating element conditionsthe adhesive coating by convection.
 10. A method according to claim 1wherein the method further comprises the step of monitoring thecondition of at least one of the first and second surface, andpreventing the first and second surface being brought into pressurecontact if the integrity of said at least one surface is outsidepre-determiner criteria.
 11. A method according to claim 9 wherein thesteps are coordinated by a control means.
 12. A method of monitoring theintegrity of a first surface of an object which is to be adhered to asecond surface of said article, comprising the steps of: (a) using atleast one sensor to monitor the integrity of the first surface, (b)sending a signal to a control means indicating the integrity of thefirst surface, (c) preventing the first and second surface from beingbrought into pressure contact if the integrity of the first and/orsecond surface is outside predetermined criteria, (d) rejecting saidobject if the first surfaces do not comply with the predeterminedcriteria.
 13. A method according to claims 12 wherein the integrity ofthe first surface is monitored by measuring the temperature of the firstsurface prior to bringing the first and second surfaces into pressurecontact.
 14. A method according to claims 13 wherein the purpose ofmonitoring the first surface is to determine if the first surface hasbeen conditioned sufficiently to adhere it to said second surface.
 15. Amethod according to claim 1 comprising a series of steps before the stepof supplying the first and second surfaces to the conveyor means, theseries comprising the steps of: (a) determining if the conditioningmeans is ready for conditioning the first surface, (b) if so then,supplying a test surface to the conveyor means, conveying the testsurface to the conditioning means, and monitoring the integrity of thetest surface when it is conveyed from the conditioning means, (c) if theintegrity of the test surface is within predetermined criteria,supplying the first and second surfaces to the conveyor means, and (d)if the conditioning means is not ready to condition the first surface,then causing an alert to be issued that the conditioning means is not soready.
 16. An apparatus for adhering first and second surfaces togetherthe apparatus comprising a conveyor means for conveying the firstsurface to conditioning means for conditioning the first surface suchthat the first surface has an adhesive property, means for applying thesecond surface to the first surface such that when they are brought intopressure contact the first and second surfaces are adhered together, andmeans for applying pressure to both the first and second surfacescharacterized in that the conveying means is adapted to keep the firstsurface in continuous motion during the conditioning process and to keepthe first and second surfaces in continuous motion during pressurecontact.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the means forconditioning the first surface comprises a heating element.
 18. Anapparatus according to claim 17 wherein the second surface comprises anadhesive coating which is conditioned by heat and conveyor means isprovided to convey the second surface to a heating element.
 19. Anapparatus according to claim 16 wherein a pair of rolers are providedfor compressing he first and second surfaces together.
 20. An apparatusaccording to claim 16 wherein the heating element emits infra-redradiation.
 21. An apparatus according to claim 16 further comprisingmeans for conducting an intial warm up run wherein the conditioningmeans is assessed for its readiness to condition the first surface byconveyong a test surface to the conditioning means for conditioning thetest surface and then monitoring the intedrity of the test surface, andmeans automatically to prevent the firsr surface from being conveyed tothe conditioning apparatus if the test surface is impaired.
 22. Anapparatus according to claim 16 wherein there further comprises a systemfor monitoring the integrity of the first surface wherein saidmonitoring system comprises at least one sensor being coupled to thecontrol means for recieving a signal from the at least one sensor,wherein the control means analyses the signal and determines wheter ornot the integrity of the first surface complies with predeterminedcriteria.
 23. (canceled)
 24. An apparatus according to claim 22 whereinthe control means prevents the second surface from being brought intocontacting relationship with the first surface.
 25. An apparatusaccording to claim 23 wherein the control means causes an objectcomprising the first surface to be rejected for not complying with saidpredetermined criteria.
 26. An apparatus for monitoring the integrity ofa first surface of an object which is to be adhered to a second surfaceof said objectcomprising: at least one sensor to monitor the integrityof the first surface, the at least one sensor being coupled to a controlmeans for receiving a signal from the or each sensor indicating theintegrity of the first surface, a means for preventing the first andsecond surfaces from being brought into pressure contact if theintegrity of the first and/or second surface is outside predeterminedcriteria, and/or a means for rejecting the object if the first surfacedoes not comply with the predetermined criteria.
 27. An apparatusaccording to claims 26 wherein the integrity of the first surface ismonitored by measuring the temperature of the first surface and thepredetermined criteria is a temperature range at which an adhesive bondbetween the first and second surfaces is achieved.
 28. An apparatusaccording to claim 26 wherein the integrity of the first surface ismonitored prior to bringing the first and second surfaces into pressurecontact.
 29. An apparatus according to claims 26 wherein the purpose ofmonitoring the first surface is to determine if the first surface hasbeen conditioned sufficiently to adhere it to the second surface. 30.(canceled)
 31. (canceled)
 32. (canceled)
 33. (canceled)
 34. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the first surface forms a front panel ofan outer package and the second surface forms a first surface of anarticle, and wherein the outer package comprises a rear panel surfaceand the article has a second article surface, wherein the methodcomprises the further steps of: conveying the rearr panel to aconditionong means for conditioning such that it can be adhered to thesecond article surface and bringing the rear panel and the secondarticle surface into pressure contact so that adhesive portions of therear panel are ahered to the second article surface thereby adhesivelysecuring the article within outer package.
 35. A method according toclaim 1 comprising a series of steps before the step of supplying thefirst and second surfaces to the conveyor means, the series comprisingthe steps of: (a) determining if the conditioning means is ready forconditioning the first surface, (b) if so then, supplying a test surfaceto the conveyor means, conveying the test surface to the conditioningmeans, and monitoring the integrity of the test surface when it isconveyed from the conditioning means, (c) if the integrity of the testsurface is outside predetermined criteria, preventing said first andsecond surfaces from being supplied to the conveyor, and (d) if theconditioning means is not ready to condition the first surface, thencausing an alert to be issused that the conditioning means is not soready.